Circular  3 


February,  1894 


New  Hampshire  College 


OF 

AGRICULTURE  AND  THE  MECHANIC  ARTS 


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Non=resident  Course  in  Agriculture 


At  a meeting  of  the  faculty  of  this  College,  January  8,  it  was  decided  to 
recommend  to  the  trustees  the  establishment  of  a non-resident  course  in 
agriculture — the  subject  having  been  under  discussion  for  several  preceding 
months.  The  trustees  adopted  the  recommendation  January  10,  and  a brief 
announcement  of  the  fact  appeared  in  the  newspapers  the  next  day.  The 
object  of  the  present  notice  is  to  give  a fuller  account  of  the  aims  and 
methods  of  the  course. 

The  course  is  primarily  designed  to  meet  the  needs  of  those  farmers’ 
sons  who  are  unable  to  leave  home  to  attend  college,  but  who  feel  the  need 
of  the  fuller  knowledge  of  their  work  which  the  college  offers.  During  the 
last  ten  years  a large  amount  of  information  of  the  highest  practical  value 
has  been  published,  and  in  the  years  to  come  more  is  to  appear.  The  col- 


lege  instructors  see  nearly  all  of  this  literature,  and  from  it  they  intend  to 
select  that  which  is  best  suited  to  the  needs  of  the  student.  Besides  the 
standard  books,  they  will  use  in  the  course  the  best  bulletins  from  the  ex- 
periment stations,  and  the  best  pamphlets  written  by  practical  specialists. 
In  this  way  they  hope  to  make  it  a progressive  course  along  practical  lines. 

The  methods  of  the  course  are  briefly  as  follows  : 

1.  It  will  be  free  to  all,  with  no  entrance  examination  or  fee.  The 
student  can  begin  at  any  time  ; and  the  privileges  of  the  course  are  not  limit- 
ed to  residents  of  New  Hampshire. 

2.  Students  are  offered  the  option  of  working  for  a certificate  or  not, 
as  they  see  fit,  but  they  are  strongly  urged  to  do  the  former.  Those  so 
working  will,  as  studies  are  finished,  send  in  answers  to  sets  of  examination 
questions  : those  not  so  working  will  submit  a statement  that  the  requisite 
reading  has  been  carefully  done. 

3.  Each  of  the  books  and  pamphlets  will  be  estimated  at  a certain  num- 
ber of  exercises,  an  exercise  probably  averaging  ten  pages  of  reading  matter. 

4.  The  satisfactory  completion  of  600  exercises  will  entitle  the  student 
to  a certificate.  It  is  probable  that  under  ordinary  conditions  this  will  re- 
quire about  two  years. 

5 . Each  student  working  for  a certificate  will  be  required  to  take  cer- 
tain general  studies,  such  as  Soils,  Tillage,  Noxious  Insects,  Fungous 
Diseases,  Meteorology,  Laws  of  Plant  Growth,  Farm  and  Household  Chem- 
istry, Fertilizers,  etc.,  and  to  select  at  least  three  lines  of  study  from  the  fol- 
lowing or- similar  subjects  : 


Dairying. 

Stock-feeding. 

Stock-breeding. 

Poultry-keeping. 

Field  Crops. 

Forestry. 


Orchard  Fruits. 
Small  Fruits. 
Vegetables. 
Floriculture. 

Plant  Propagation. 
Road  Construction. 


Students  not  working  lor  a certificate  may  select  any  of  the  above  sub- 
jects they  desire,  but  it  is  recommended  that  they  pursue  the  prescribed 
lines  of  general  reading  in  ^connection  with  special  subjects. 

6.  The  cost  of  books  will  not  be  great.  So  far  as  possible  the  college 
will  arrange  to  furnish  bulletins  free,  and  books  at  lowest  cost. 

It  is  expected  that  where  several  students  live  near  together,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  faculty  will  be  able  to  deliver  lectures  in  person  at  occasional  in- 
tervals, thus  bringing  the  course  into  line  with  the  university  extension 
movement. 

The  cooperation  of  granges,  farmers’  clubs,  village  improvement  socie- 
ties, and  other  organizations  is  earnestly  desired. 

Apply,  stating  what  subjects  you  wish  to  study,  to 
President  C.  S.  Murkland, 
or 

Prof.  C.  M.  Weed,  Sec’y  Faculty, 

Durham,  N.  H. 


